Muse looks beyond "albums"

English prog-rockers Muse have announced that they are flirting with the idea of abandoning the album as a vehicle for releasing new music in favour of releasing new material exclusively in single format. In an interview with NME, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Matt Bellamy said ""I like the idea of releasing a series of songs, every month or every couple of months – just putting songs out there. Almost like making the single a more prominent format, and then every few years doing a best of from that period and that would be the album. So in other words, throw out songs every couple of months and see how people like them."

But a stream of singles isn't the only possibility. Bellamy said that the new material "may just be one 50-minute symphony, do you know what I mean? Who knows?" These speculations on format surround the murmurings about Muse's recent activity and plans to release their new...whatever...late this year or early next year.

Track Review: Pete Francis - "Case of Bad Love"

Rating: 1.1 / 5.0

Pete Francis had a great thing going when he was with Dispatch. They rode the "college guys with guitars" wave with astonishing success. Since that group disbanded though, Francis, being forced to make it on his (limited) merits as a musician - has sort of fallen off the radar. But he's decided to soldier on; his new album Iron Sea and the Cavalry comes out next week. This song, "Case of Bad Love", is a preview of that album.

Simply put, it's as if Jack Johnson and Jimmy Buffett had a kid who wished he was Bob Dylan (and James Blunt was godfather). This is a work of meandering folk that is worse than Dispatch, and best described by it's own lyrics. Listening to this song is like "waiting for the pot to boil, but nothing's cooking." The song doesn't go anywhere. The arrangement is static and uninteresting (as is the songwriting; it's hard to tell where verse ends and chorus begins), leaving very little to distract attention from Francis's boyish, affected, vocals. He's not the greatest songwriter in the world - there are no hooks or ear-catching melodies here; and the lush harmonies and occasional splashes of horns from his Dispatch days are nowhere on this song.

I can't help but let my cynical side get the best of me and think that if this guy hadn't been in Dispatch, then this decidedly boring song would never have seen the light of day. But I'll reserve my judgment until I've heard the whole record. We can only hope he took some lessons from his days with Dispatch. I can't believe I just said that.

-PTC

Record Review: Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell

Tokyo Police Club have managed to be so damned pleasing by melding two usually disparate elements from indie rock writ large: awkward, self-concious lyrics verging on emo and poppy dance rhythms.
The Strokes without the swagger, Bright Eyes you can (sort of) dance to. They've also managed to be inoffensive. Dave Monks is a shrinking violet of a frontman as much as practicality allows. In interviews, he discusses how a dirty old set of bass strings help him get the right tone, not lyrics. Live, he retreats from the microphone, leaving Graham Wright or Josh Hook to introduce songs. They've also kept virtually every song under three minutes, never letting anyone get bored.

All of this was under threat on Elephant Shell. Attracting increasing independent and mainstream attention and signing to mopey Saddle Creek, their full-length debut could have imploded. The good news: Elephant Shell is everything the TPC fan could want. The gang are all here: stuttering rhythms, spacey keyboards, and high-gain guitars. The songs are short: the album is 4 tracks longer than the CD release of A Lesson in Crime and 12 minutes longer. The fun, charming, and slightly naive touches, too: handclaps, group shouts, though not the Julian Casablancas telephone mic from ALiC opener "Cheer It On".

Also familiar is "Your English Is Good", released as single last year and revived with a few minor tweaks. It remains a winning track, along with lead album single "In A Cave" and "Tessellate". "Juno" brings in breakneck drum and bass a la Klaxons. Tempo changes abound, moreover, it seems to be TPC's calling card. Several songs emerge from jazzy futurism into hardcore jams, or attempt the opposite trick. Late-album "Nursery Academy" and "Listen to the Math" both showcase Dave Monks' emotional and academic range, taking on more sophisticated romantic themes and slighty edgier politics.

Of note, the production is somewhat changed from ALiC or the Smith EP: the vocals are very high in the mix. Dave Monks' vocals outshine the formerly raucous drums and keyboards. Chalk it up to the Omaha influence from the distinctive vocal stylings of Tim Kasher and Conor Oberst are prominent. Where would Cursive and Bright Eyes be if saxophone, lap steel guitar, and trumpet perpetually overcame vocals? The same problem crops up on Two Gallants' self-titled, released on Saddle Creek last year. I recommend seeing TPC live at a second-rate venue where the crew won't quite zero in the microphones.

So Elephant Shell is a modest evolution for TPC and a solid first album. It won't set the world on its ear, but it's a professional effort from a rapidly rising band. In a post-Vampire Weekend world, it could even go unnoticed by folks not already won over by A Lesson in Crime.

7.7/10.0

-RJR

White Rabbits on TBD

According to a recent NME report, Brooklyn six-piece indie outfit White Rabbits will release their second album on Radiohead's label TBD (best known as the vehicle for the sublime Best Album of 2007, In Rainbows). The album will follow last year's wonderful Fort Nightly, but don't get too excited, it's not due until early 2009.

The Beatles set to take iTunes Music Store by storm

Steve Jobs has finally done it. After convincing Paul McCartney to release his albums on the now dominant iTunes Music Store, it seems that the computer-music-mobile phone tycoon will soon unleash on the world the entire catalogue of the best band in the history of recorded music (and it only cost him £300m).

I can't decide if this is beautiful or disgusting.

-PTC

Alex Turner's much-needed (?) side project

Because two records in as many years with Arctic Monkeys weren't enough, Alex Turner has teamed with Miles Kane (of The Rascals), starting a side project called Last Shadow Puppets. Their debut, The Age of the Understatement will arrive on April 21st on Domino Records, on the heels of an eponymous single (which will be available on 7-inch six days prior to the album proper). James Ford, producer of the Arctic Monkeys sophomore album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, will assume production duties on The Age of the Understatement as well, and Owen Pallett (erstwhile Arcade Fire collaborator and Final Fantasy frontman) will offer his orchestration talent.

Merge goes digital

Do you like Arcade Fire, Spoon, Dinosaur Jr., The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Broken West, Destroyer, The Clientele, Camera Obscura, Robert Pollard, Shout Out Louds, The Rosebuds, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Caribou, Buzzcocks, and/or M. Ward? Well, if you do, good news!

Merge Records, home to all of those artists and then some, has just souped up their online store with a digital option (follow the link below to get to buying!). The store will sell every album the label releases in four different formats: mp3, FLAC (CD quality), and the old standards CD and LP.

If that isn't a reason for shameless product placement (above), then we just don't know what is.
http://www.mergerecords.com/store/